Latent evolution of biofilm formation depends on life-history and genetic background.

ABSTRACT: Adaptation to one environment can often generate phenotypic and genotypic changes which impact the future ability of an organism to thrive in other environmental conditions. In the context of host-microbe interactions, biofilm formation can increase survival rates in vivo upon exposure to stresses, like the host's immune system or antibiotic therapy. However, how the generic process of adaptation impacts the ability to form biofilm and how it may change through time has seldomly been studied. To do so, we used a previous evolution experiment with three strains of the Klebsiella pneumoniae species complex, in which we specifically did not select for biofilm formation. We observed that changes in the ability to form biofilm happened very fast at first and afterwards reverted to ancestral lev

SUBMITTER: Nucci A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10400614 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature